Diabetic Prevention

Social Effects:

American behavior widely promotes its lower class citizens into developing type 2 diabetes. Firstly, there are less resources for the people who cannot afford access to them. Studies show that those who live in poverty are 2-4 times more likely to develop diabetes than those who have higher education and a well-paying job. Social determinants, such as low income, low job security, and poor living conditions, are factors that very well play into health conditions.

We find that health reform acts are to blame, as they have failed to develop the proper resources for populations at risk for chronic health conditions. For example, proper resources would include access to healthcare, where one can talk to a dietician about living a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The social determinants are not taken into consideration as they should be.

Secondly, American culture permits an extremely unhealthy lifestyle. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The correlation between heart disease and diabetes is distinct. 90% of type 2 diabetics are overweight or obese, and obesity has become a nationwide epidemic, contributing to the increasing amount of diabetics. This is due to the fact that the more fat one has, the less likely your muscle and tissue cells are able to properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by the body, and regulates whether or not the extra glucose from food is stored as fat or used as energy.

America has become overweight due to 3 main reasons– increased portion sizes, misleading nutrition supplements, and inactivity. Numbers show that the average American eats 195 lbs of meat per year, which is closely related to the fact that fat consumption has heightened ⅔ over the same period. Fast food locations, which account for 11% of the average American diet, make it easy to access the large portions of fattening foods, and extremely sugary beverages. Companies advertise weight loss products, promoting “fad diets,” most of which cut out necessary nutrients needed in a daily, balanced diet. This confuses consumers, leading them to believe they are living healthier, when in reality, they are not.

Lastly, one of the largest components of type 2 diabetes is a lack of activity. Americans nowadays solely rely on watching television or passing time on their cellphones, which also goes hand-in-hand with eating. 80% of people do not exercise enough daily. Research shows that only 20% of jobs today require moderate physical activity, therefore leading to only burning 120-140 calories a day, which is insufficient compared to the amount Americans eat per day. All together, these societal effects perfectly show how easy it is to become overweight, and possibly risk developing diabetes.

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Figure 1.1 The sociobiologic cycle of diabetes

Biological Effects:

Individuals can sometimes be able to wonder if they have diabetes and they just don’t know it yet. Signs of Diabetes can include:

  • Blurry Vision
  • Increased Fatigue
  • Desire for thirst
  • Feeling the need to urinate
  • Tingling in hands and/or feet
  • Pain in hands and/or feet

Having Diabetes can alter one’s life a lot. Besides having to watch what you eat, how much of what you eat, or how you exercise, the long term effects that diabetes has on your body can be a lot to handle as well.

Some of the increased effects and risks of diabetes can include high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which can greatly increase an individual’s chances of strokes. When a person has diabetes they also must monitor their diabetes. If a person were to not monitor their diabetes they can develop Diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic Retinopathy is when the back of the eyes swell and the blood vessels leak.

Some other health issues that can be because of diabetes is Diabetic Nephropathy and Gastroparesis. Diabetic Nephropathy is directly related to kidneys being a kidney disease which can be brought on by having diabetes. Gastroparesis is the delay in the movement of food to the small intestine. It can cause nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, bloating, abdominal pain, and weight loss (if condition is severe).

Another biological effect of a person who has diabetes can be that they do not heal as quickly as a person who does not have diabetes. This is because of their poor circulation of blood which reduces the flow of oxygen and nutrients.

Having diabetes can directly affect a person’s nerves in their body. People who have diabetes can develop Neuropathy, which is their diabetes affecting their nerves. Some symptoms of Neuropathy can include:

  • Numbness of hands/feet
  • Tingling of hands/feet
  • Lack of arousal
  • Sweating excessively
  • Diagnosis of delayed stomach emptying

Behavioral Effects:

Diabetes can be caused by many things whether it be genetic, how much of certain things you eat, or simply what your lifestyle is like. Depending on the type of diabetes that you have, your body and lifestyle will change. For example, Type 1 diabetes is when the body cannot produce insulin anymore and Type 2 diabetes is when your body has a hard time managing your insulin levels. For Type 2 diabetes your lifestyle plays a pivotal role. An individual’s eating habits (nutritious or type of food), exercise, and obesity can all factor into diabetes. Based on the obesity rate, the amount of people expected to have diabetes is projected to increase drastically.

Some ways that people could prevent Type 2 diabetes would be to overall eat less carbohydrates in your diet. The more carbohydrates a person consumes, the higher their blood sugar can be. This lifestyle of eating more processed foods could increase an individual’s chances of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

Another way that people can reduce their chances of developing Type 2 Diabetes is to not smoke or drink alcohol. Research has proven that people who smoke are 50% more likely to develop diabetes in their future. Some people tend to think that if they already are smoking, that there is nothing they can do because damage has been done. That is not always the case. Research has proven that although men who have smoked in the past have gained weight after they quit smoking, they still reduced their risk greatly of developing diabetes.

Exercising doesn’t just make people feel good, it helps your body in ways you might not even know. Individuals who tend to work out regularly, are less likely to develop diabetes due to their lowered heart rate, lower blood pressure, and their overall improved psychological well being. The more that an individual exercises, the more that insulin can increase and in turn, will help your body in not having an elevated risk of developing diabetes.

Changing one’s lifestyle can require a lot of hard work, determination, and lots of motivation from yourself. (Figure 1.2) There are lots of ways one can change their lifestyle to better suit them. A couple strategies are to set goals, plan how you wish to accomplish those goals, have the support from friends or family, and lastly, being able to have a good attitude knowing that you are improving your health and well-being, all while reducing health risks for your future.

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Figure 1.2 Enhancing your lifestyle

References:

Social Effects:

  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662286/
  • https://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2013/01/15/why-arent-americans-healthier
  • https://www.publichealth.org

Biological Factors:

  • https://www.diabetes.co.uk/how-does-diabetes-affect-the-body.html

Behavioral Factors:

  • https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/s-0029-1240975#N70971
  • http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/24/1/117 

 

 

 

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